Natural hazards · Clearwater

Clearwater, SC natural hazards

Most of the natural-hazard damage FEMA expects in Clearwater comes from inland flooding, and overall the risk is low for a U.S. community. 1 federal disaster brought FEMA money into town.

FEMA National Risk Index, December 2025 · OpenFEMA claims, aid & declarations

Expected damage

How exposed is Clearwater?

Low

vs. U.S. communities

FEMA expects yearly storm and flood damage to homes and buildings in Clearwater to be higher than in 20% of U.S. communities, mostly from inland flooding.

Inland flooding46%Hurricanes15%Tornadoes13%Earthquakes6%Heat waves6%Cold waves5%Everything else10%

By hazard

What Clearwater faces

Each hazard’s share of the damage FEMA expects here, and how that compares with the rest of the country.

Inland flooding

46% of expected damage

Well below average · higher than 18% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 2 years in the area

Hurricanes

15% of expected damage

Well above average · higher than 82% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 8 years in the area

Tornadoes

13% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 68% of U.S. places

Earthquakes

6% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 61% of U.S. places

Heat waves

6% of expected damage

Below average · higher than 42% of U.S. places

Recorded about 5 times a year in the area

Cold waves

5% of expected damage

Above average · higher than 62% of U.S. places

Recorded about once every 5 years in the area

Lower here

HailIce stormsWinter weatherWildfireLandslidesStrong windLightningDrought

Not a risk here

Coastal floodingAvalanchesTsunamisVolcanic activity

Flood risk changes street by street. Check a specific address on FEMA’s flood map, and ask about flood insurance before you buy.

Flood insurance claims

Does Clearwater flood?

FEMA's records show no paid flood insurance claims in Clearwater.

of homes in flood zones
are insured

of all homes
are insured

No community discount. Clearwater isn’t in FEMA’s Community Rating System, which cuts flood insurance up to 45% in towns that do extra flood-proofing.

Insurance rates: Aiken County.

Disasters that hit Clearwater

1 federal disaster brought FEMA money here

Disasters the President declared that paid out in Clearwater itself: aid to households, or repair grants to Clearwater.

Brought FEMA money into ClearwaterDeclared for Aiken County only

2024

Hurricane Helene

57 households applied for aid $33K aid approved

Aiken County has had 17 natural disasters declared since 1953, most often hurricanes and severe storms.

Around Clearwater

Clearwater and the towns around it

Very lowLowModerateHighVery high

Burnettownmostly inland floodingLow

North Augustamostly inland floodingLow

Clearwatermostly inland floodingLow

About these numbers

How to read this page

An average, not a forecastFEMA’s National Risk Index estimates the damage 18 kinds of natural hazards cause in a typical year, from decades of records and models. A quiet decade can follow a bad year.

Compared by rate“Higher than N%” compares yearly damage as a share of what’s here, so a big city isn’t rated riskier just for having more buildings. Clearwater covers 2 census tracts, combined by population.

Money that reached townFlood claims are matched to Clearwater’s own flood-insurance community; household aid to the registrant’s city; repair grants to Clearwater. FEMA’s model follows property values, so a place that recently lost many homes can rate lower than it feels.

FEMA’s expected losses across Clearwater total about $1.2M a year, counting buildings, people and crops.

Sources: FEMA National Risk Index (December 2025); OpenFEMA: NFIP redacted claims, multiple-loss properties, community status book and residential penetration rates, housing assistance (owners and renters), public assistance funded projects, hazard mitigation properties and disaster declarations. Census tracts: U.S. Census Bureau.